Place card



p 1950 w. D. CORNING 2,523,196

PLACE CARD Filed Oct. 1, 1946 Patentedsept. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT PLACE CARD Walter D. Corning, Knoxville,- Tenn. I I Application October 1, 1946, Serial No. 700,524- V. f ((140-1241) I 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improvement in place cards of the character used to designate individual places or seats at banquets, parties, and other occasions where individual signs may be desirable for use. 4

It has been customary heretofore to use place cards formed of paper or cardboard upon which the name of an individual may be written. Such place cards can be used only on that one occasion, because of the necessity for permanently applying the name thereto. It is impossible to use them repeatedly, which would reduce the cost thereof for each occasion.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of such place cards, to enable them to be used repeatedly, and yet to identify particular individuals by the application of a name to each place card, while providing for the detachable association of the name with the holder, so

that the name may be varied as desired, and yet when in place, provides an attractive individual place card suitable for the purpose intended.

This object may be acomplished by constructing the place card of a body or support formed of suitable transparent material, such as celluloid or transparent plastic sheet and folded to provide a receptacle for an individual name card that may be inserted therein in a detachable manner, whereby the name of the individual may be observed through the transparent body of the holder. This holder may be provided with suitable ornamentation, as desired, and such ornamentation may depict special occasions, such as New Years Day, Washingtons Birthday, Valentine Day, etc. This will provide not only an individual place card which may be used repeatedly by replacement of the name, but also one that is very attractive in appearance and may be made adaptable for different occasions.

This embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the place card;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the holder blank for the place card.

The place card, constructed according to this embodiment of the invention, is formed of a holder and a name plate detachably mounted therein, and capable of ready substitution, as designated generally at I and 2, respectively, in the drawings.

The holder I is formed, preferably, by stamp- OFFICE??? tic sheet material capable of fabrication-and having the desired properties for use. It is .preferable that the sheet ,be transparent, at least throughout the portion in which the name {is-to be visible. This sheet of material *may be stamped out .to provide the holder l, of the desired size v and configuration, and may' havev a suitable ornament formed in one integral piece therewith to designate a particular special occaslon.

The holder I is shown as having bottom section 3, and a top section 4, folded on a line v5, in such relation that the bottom section 3 will set fiat upon a table or other supporting surface. The top section '4 extends upwardly from the fold line 5, preferably at an acute angle thereto, providing a receptacle 6 therebetween, within which the name plate 2 is inserted. The name plate 2 should be of such form as to be enclosed within the receptacle 6, whereby it will be of somewhat smaller area than the bottom section 3 and will rest upon the latter in its supported position in the receptacle 6. The name of the individual may be written, printed, or otherwise depicted upon the top surface of the name plate 2, whereby it will be visible through the top section 4, when the name plate is in place in the receptacle 6.

It will be evident that the back of the receptacle is open, so as to permit of ready insertion or removal of the name plate 2, as desired. Therefore, it is possible to substitute other name plates or individual designations, as desired, which makes the place card capable of re-use, merely by substituting another name plate therein. The name plate 2, may be formed of cardboard, paper, or other suitable material upon which the name may be depicted.

The place card may be provided, if desired, with suitable ornamentation, either directly on the top section 4, or provided as an extension thereon, as shown. Such an ornament is designated generally at l, and is formed in one integral piece with the body of the support I, but is folded to be substantially in upstanding relation from the top section 4, as shown in the drawings. In the particular form illustrated, the numerals representing the year 1947, are used merely as an illustration of the occasion for which the place card may be used, as on New Years Day or New Years Eve.

Other forms of ornament may be applied in like manner to the body of the place card holder and formed in one integral piece therewith. As

ing from a single sheet of celluloid or other plasexamples of various ornaments that may be used ornaments may be colored as suggested bythe l character thereof, or as found desirable.

Such a place card is capable of manufacture at very low cost and will be found attractive in service and practical to use because of its capability of repeated re-use merely by the substitution of name plates therein, which may be provided very simply and inexpensively.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in one embodiment, together with'm'odifications that may be provided therein, it is recognized that other changes imay be madein the formof the invention, and-that it is notrestrict'ed =t0this particular form, except insofar as specified-'in the claim.

I claim: x I I A place card comprising a body 'formed of a sheetof substantially rigid transparent material folded upon itself to provide a bottom section adapted to rest upon a supporting surface and a top section extending thereover, said top and bottom sections being of uniform width throughout providing a uniform support for the place card and a uniform transparent window and forming a receptacle therebetween open at the side opposite the fold line adapted to receive a name plate therein for removal through said open side and Which-nameplate is visible through the window provided by the transparent top section, and

ornament formed in one integral piece with the material of the top section in upstanding relation therewith at the open side of the recep- ...-tac1e.

WALTER D. C'ORNING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 781,222 Morse Jan. 31', 1905 1,471,334 Hopper Oct. 23, 1923 2,139,822 Harri-s Dec. '13, 1938 2,409,814 Vargish r Oct.22, 1946 

